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Jerry Jones Explains Why Brian Schottenheimer Was Better Option Than Lions' Coordinators

Jones shared why he chose Schottenheimer over candidates like Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn.

Eva Geitheim

Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer and owner Jerry Jones
Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer and owner Jerry Jones / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has come under scrutiny for the process in which he went about hiring new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. From being unable to agree on an extension with Mike McCarthy, not parting ways with McCarthy until a week after the regular season, and not interviewing top head coaching candidates like Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn, Jones could have set the Cowboys up better for an during the hiring process.

Johnson and Glenn were widely viewed as two of the best coaching candidates in this year's cycle after leading the Detroit Lions back to prominence over the past two seasons. However, Jones reportedly did not consider either of the Lions coordinators as top options for the Cowboys head coach position, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.

Machota reported that Jones believed Schottenheimer was a better candidate because of his familiarity with the Cowboys situation, having been the team's offensive coordinator over the last two seasons. Jones also believes that Schottenheimer has the same skills as both Johnson and Glenn.

During this hiring cycle, the Cowboys only interviewed Schottenheimer, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Seattle Seahawks assistant Leslie Frazier, and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh before hiring Schottenheimer. The team also had a conversation with former Cowboys star and Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, but Sanders reportedly never was a serious candidate for the position.

Schottenheimer does hold over a decade more of overall coaching experience than both Johnson and Glenn. While Johnson and Glenn have only served as a coordinator for one stint with the Lions, Schottenheimer has previously held the offensive coordinator position for four teams. This does not necessarily mean that Schottenheimer has more skill or expertise than either Johnson or Glenn, but at least signifies he is highly experienced as he takes on the lead role with the arguably the most prominent team in the NFL.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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